The prostate is a small organ found only in men that surrounds the urethra and is located just below the bladder. For men under the age of 50, a common prostate condition is prostatitis whereas in men over 50, a common prostate condition is prostate enlargement, also known as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). In all, it is estimated that prostate conditions affect over 50% of men by age 50 and over 75% of men by age 80.
Men with prostate conditions often experience discomfort or pain while sitting, particularly when seated for prolonged periods of time. In order to alleviate this discomfort, it is common to employ seat cushions or pillows placed under the buttocks. While such measures are adequate in the privacy of one's own home, it is cumbersome, impractical and embarrassing to use a seat cushion or pillow at work or in public.
Accordingly, a need exists for a convenient and discrete way to alleviate the discomfort associated with prolonged sitting in men with prostate conditions. The prior art describes several examples of cushioned undergarments as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,216; 5,103,505; and 8,042,197. However, the undergarments of the prior art are not designed to define an unpadded area corresponding to substantially the entirety of the wearer's perineal region to thereby reduce or eliminate contact to the perineal region of the wearer. Thus, while padding corresponding to the perineal region of the wearer provides cushioning to the area it also has the downside of creating a point of contact and pressure with the perineal region while the wearer is seated, the present invention seeks to eliminate all points of contact and pressure with the perineal region of the wearer while the wearer is seated.